title: Carotid plaque and candidate genes related to inflammation and endothelial function in Hispanics from northern Manhattan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The genetic influence on carotid atherosclerotic plaque is mostly unknown. This study examines the association between carotid plaque and single nucleotide polymorphisms in selected genes implicated in inflammation and endothelial function.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 43 genes (197 single nucleotide polymorphisms) involved in inflammation and endothelial function were interrogated in 287 Dominicans from the Northern Manhattan Study (mean age, 64±7 years; 58% women) who had undergone high-resolution B-mode ultrasound for examination of carotid plaque. Using an additive genetic model, multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted, a within-gene haplotype analysis was performed, and interactions between genes were examined. Results were validated in an independent set of 301 Dominicans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Carotid plaque was present in 143 (47%) participants. Nine genes had at least 1 single nucleotide polymorphism associated (P≤0.01) with carotid plaque phenotypes: TNF, NOS2A, IL6R, TNFSF4, PPARA, IL1A, TLR4, ITGA2, and HABP2. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in TNFSF4, PPARA, TLR4, ITGA2, and HABP2 were also implicated with the same carotid phenotype in the validation analysis. Haplotype analysis revealed an additional gene of interest, VCAM1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report novel associations between variations in 10 genes involved in inflammation and endothelial function and carotid plaque phenotypes in a Dominican sample, with replication for 5 genes in an independent Dominican sample.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, PO Box 016960 (M-877), Miami, FL 33101, USA. hgardener@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gardener
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beecham
authors.forename: Digna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cabral
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yanuck
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Slifer
authors.forename: Liyong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Susan H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Blanton
authors.forename: Ralph L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.forename: Suh-Hang Hank
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Juo
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rundek
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis / Q000379:methods; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000379:methods; D005838:Genotype; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics